In this special holiday episode, the panelists take a journey through the comics of Christmas past, present, and future. We recap our favorite reads of the year, talk about some great comics from the Shortbox Comics Fair, and pick some exciting new reads for the new year.

Happy holidays!

• (00:00) - A Comics Christmas Carol
• (01:37) - Comics of Christmas Past
• (15:41) - Comics of Christmas Present
• (16:45) - Exo
• (33:40) - Spaghetti Western
• (44:39) - Dead Horses
• (01:04:28) - Dream Loop
• (01:19:38) - Comics of Christmas Future
• (01:20:22) - Jillian’s Short Read
• (01:21:33) - Robin’s Short Read
• (01:22:05) - Scout’s Short Read
• (01:23:07) - Matt’s Short Read
• (01:24:33) - Jillian’s Long Read
• (01:27:05) - Robin’s Long Read
• (01:29:08) - Scout’s Long Read
• (01:33:21) - Matt’s Long Read
• (01:36:57) - Back Matter

SPOILERS FOR THE EPISODE
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Shortbox Comics Fair Reads:

• Exo by Jaye Fabel
• Spaghetti Western by Ian T Bisbal
• Dead Horses by Freya JN
• Dream Loop by Inkpangur

Short reads:

• Absolute Wonder Woman Vol 1 - Jillian
• Blade Maidens - Robin
• KOH-BOKU - Scout
• Batman: Wayne Family Adventures - Matt

Long reads:

• Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Jillian
• Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou - Robin
• Fullmetal Alchemist - Scout
• Blue Period vol 1-6 - Matt

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, our panelists venture into Veil by Kotteri. We discuss the "will they, won't they, are they already?" romance, unique storytelling, and most importantly, the fashion and design present in the first two volumes of this manga.

• (00:00) - “Veil” by Kotteri
• (00:37) - Front Matter
• (02:09) - What we thought
• (06:17) - Read digital if you can!
• (07:51) - Piano key dress
• (08:09) - A summary
• (09:03) - Manga in full color
• (12:38) - This unique structure
• (14:56) - Alexander as Auron
• (16:00) - Dior ribbon Emma
• (16:55) - Not really friends or lovers
• (21:55) - Just posting her OCs
• (24:38) - The phone booth
• (26:49) - Pictures of sounds
• (27:45) - A book about hands
• (32:23) - The dialogue
• (36:00) - The art of not explaining a damn thing
• (42:24) - Fashion corner
• (44:24) - L O O K
• (45:11) - Veil over her eyes
• (46:29) - Watches in her hair
• (47:14) - Just their legs
• (48:06) - Connecting covers
• (48:52) - Drawing touch
• (50:59) - We love Veil
• (52:15) - The depiction of blindness
• (55:55) - Further reading
• (01:03:27) - Back matter

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Join our panelists today for their longest read yet! We dive into the magical world of Witch Hat Atelier to discuss the magic of creating, the pitfalls of power, and what it means to be a mentor. Take our hands and follow us down the winding path - there's more to magic than meets the eye.

• (00:00) - Witch Hat Atelier
• (01:26) - Impressions
• (05:42) - Front Matter
• (11:50) - The mangaka
• (14:02) - Diversity in this series
• (20:40) - The art
• (26:31) - The primary conflict
• (37:17) - Class consciousness
• (42:56) - Middle schooler syndrome
• (48:15) - The adults and their responsibilities
• (49:40) - Olruggio and Qifrey
• (57:43) - Sinister Qifrey
• (01:04:28) - Class divide & abuse
• (01:08:18) - CW: sexual abuse
• (01:15:26) - The responsibility we have to children
• (01:19:45) - Different approaches to magic
• (01:22:56) - Shirahama’s approach to the medium
• (01:29:43) - Drapery
• (01:31:23) - Portmanteaus
• (01:33:58) - The brush buddy
• (01:35:28) - The Knights Moralis
• (01:36:13) - Listener Questions
• (01:36:29) - “How are you finding the forbidden magic?” - Yuki
• (01:39:56) - “Witch Hat as a video game?” - mbrodz
• (01:43:56) - “Magic as a creative process” - Ghost of Josei
• (01:52:28) - “Which character benefits from Qifrey being on ice?” - full metal Steve
• (01:57:48) - Further Reading

You can find the first three chapters of Witch Hat Atelier on KManga for free!

And check out both trailers for the upcoming anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier here and here!

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, our panelists dive into Hel itself with Angela: Asgard's Assassin and Angela: Queen of Hel. Join us for a discussion of paneling, gay stuff, and... the 2010s humor of it all. It's... right behind me, isn't it?

• (00:00) - Angela: Asgard’s Assassin and Angela: Queen of Hel
• (00:31) - Who is Angela
• (01:39) - Front Matter
• (03:15) - What did we think?
• (07:18) - How long have superhero comics been like this?
• (10:09) - Things we did like
• (12:51) - The Marvel Snap of it all
• (14:57) - What works in a vacuum but not in context
• (17:42) - Are Angela & Sera a real couple?
• (23:12) - That’s what you missed on Glee!
• (25:18) - Hard pivot to art
• (26:29) - Wild layouts
• (28:32) - Would this work as an art book?
• (32:00) - The Hamilton references
• (32:42) - Who wrote what?
• (38:16) - Asgardians of the Galaxy
• (40:37) - Fashion Corner
• (45:58) - Compulsory Secret Wars Lessons
• (49:22) - Why is Leah here?
• (51:08) - Dark elves???
• (54:28) - The baby and the furnace
• (57:28) - Writing for the trade
• (58:33) - Sera as a trans woman
• (01:05:40) - Other trans Marvel characters
• (01:06:43) - Further Reading
• (01:09:06) - Back Matter

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, your panelists expand the definition of comics and discuss a TTRPG rule book that uses visual storytelling in extremely unique ways. Clock in and transcend reality with us!

• (00:00) - Welcome, AJ!
• (01:53) - Front Matter
• (06:30) - What we thought
• (09:32) - Terms & Conditions
• (13:32) - The lore of the game
• (19:25) - Department of Truth similarities
• (21:09) - This game is propaganda
• (29:36) - The GM as a character
• (32:03) - Art we love in the first half
• (46:21) - The General Manager Toolkit
• (50:35) - What the second voice is
• (56:06) - Jill comes for AJ
• (01:00:34) - Cooper wants to party
• (01:00:50) - The lil guy
• (01:03:31) - Colors behind the playwall
• (01:06:47) - In-Fiction Table Safety
• (01:08:50) - A work of fiction
• (01:15:07) - Further Reading

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:
AJ

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, our panelists venture into the dark with two short stories from "Creepshow!" Join us for an exploration of the history of horror comics, the nature of pulp fiction (not the movie!), and how our resident artist would draw a better crotch grab.

• (00:00) - Creepshow
• (03:07) - Front Matter
• (04:40) - History with Creepshow
• (05:54) - The WILD history of Creepshow
• (23:45) - The King genes
• (25:28) - “Hair”
• (30:39) - Pulp horror
• (33:34) - Art in pulp horror
• (35:06) - Visual Storytelling
• (37:57) - You could do a Columbo!
• (40:35) - A fun font!
• (42:53) - Wolverton Station
• (45:15) - No protagonist
• (51:45) - The sillier stuff
• (52:18) - Michael Walsh’s candy gore
• (58:43) - Max creep
• (01:00:48) - The short story
• (01:03:41) - The “crotch grab”
• (01:06:24) - Final thoughts
• (01:10:03) - Further Reading
• (01:11:23) - Back Matter

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:
Nick

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, the panelists discuss The Department of Truth Vol. 1: The End of the World. Join us for a discussion on suggestibility in art, what even makes art "comic book art" at all, and depicting conspiracy in 2025

Content Warnings: General horror, violence, conspiracies, the satanic panic, far-right white nationalism, child peril, and gun violence.

• (00:00) - “The Department of Truth” by James Tyrion and Martin Simmonds
• (02:24) - Front matter
• (02:46) - Content Warnings
• (03:08) - Synopsis
• (04:06) - What we thought about the book
• (08:46) - Suggestibility in the art
• (10:17) - The first issue
• (11:01) - Scout has critiques on Simmonds’ vomit art
• (11:46) - The art we love
• (13:53) - Scout loves pathetic men
• (18:45) - There’s a television adaptation coming
• (21:17) - The color work
• (22:11) - X-Files
• (25:46) - The other puking scene
• (26:13) - This art doesn’t feel like a comic book
• (29:37) - J. C. Leyendecker
• (31:48) - Using space just to set mood
• (34:47) - Some layout gripes
• (39:34) - Angela: Asgard’s Assassin
• (41:09) - Fashion corner
• (42:22) - Bad faith caricatures
• (46:26) - James Tynion, the queer edgelord
• (50:55) - This book is still ongoing!
• (51:37) - Further Reading
• (55:38) - “I know what a fucking tulpa is, Cole.”
• (56:07) - Back matter

• Universal Monsters: Dracula by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds
• Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, and Miquel Muerto
• Talon by James Tynion IV, Christy Marx, Scott Snyder, Guillem March, Miguel Sepulveda, Juan Jose Ryp, and Romano Molenaar
• Exquisite Corpses by James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh, Pornsak Pichetshote, Marianna Ignazzi, and Valentine De Landro
• “You’re Wrong About” episode on “Michelle Remembers”

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt

Scout

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, the panelists discuss On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden. Join us for a discussion on letting the reader figure things out, how this book relies on color, and Walden's unique take on space.

• (00:00) - “On A Sunbeam” by Tillie Walden
• (02:02) - Front Matter
• (03:22) - General thoughts
• (09:03) - Zero explanation
• (14:02) - The first half
• (20:46) - The characters & relationships
• (22:47) - Lots of negative space
• (24:13) - Two moments overlapping at once
• (25:42) - The alien-ness of characters and environments
• (31:47) - Teens talk normal
• (33:43) - We ❤️ Jules
• (34:58) - Elliot
• (38:39) - Restoration
• (45:57) - Color
• (48:19) - A quick return to restoration
• (50:29) - Back to color
• (56:54) - The fox scene
• (58:15) - The fish ship
• (01:00:28) - Lost in space
• (01:01:08) - More color!
• (01:02:00) - Always in space
• (01:03:31) - Girl world
• (01:08:20) - On a Sunbeam fanfic
• (01:10:10) - Fashion corner
• (01:12:57) - The detail
• (01:13:28) - Hierarchy of size
• (01:16:00) - Tarot influences
• (01:18:40) - Doorways
• (01:24:58) - Favorite characters
• (01:33:58) - Damn, Scout
• (01:35:25) - Further Reading
• (01:43:33) - Back matter

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:
Stephen

Matt

Scout

Robin

Jillian

Editing by Matt Horton and AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.